Six Roads to Zero

After decades of climate pledges, the world remains far from achieving net-zero emissions. The world's six largest carbon emitters - the United States, the European Union, China, India, Russia, and Saudi Arabia - are being increasingly affected by climate-related extreme events. All six have pledged to achieve “net-zero carbon”. Yet as a group, these countries are failing to curb the growth of emissions, and only two of the six have succeeded in reducing them. Six Roads to Zero explains this contradiction and anticipates where the battle against climate change may go in the coming decades. Through six in-depth case studies, Thane Gustafson explores how each of these major emitter's unique combination of political, economic, and technological factors impact the successes and failures of climate strategy at both national and international levels. Identifying critical arenas where climate politics plays out, Gustafson combines sharp analysis of policy reversals, geopolitical distractions, and technological advances, with a sobering outlook: the age of fossil fuels is far from over. Yet, amid setbacks, there are still open roads to net-zero. Six Roads to Zero highlights how each of the major emitters can contribute in their own way to a global transition.